In early March 2026, extreme violence in Abiemnhom County devastated entire communities, leaving homes completely destroyed and countless families torn apart. Hundreds of people fled across the border into Ajak Kuac Payam seeking safety, many arriving only with the clothes on their backs. Countless people had lost not just their homes but the lives of their children, parents, and siblings.
Thanks to the partnership with Transformation of the World in Christ (TWIC), the MAMA Project, and Direct Relief, Unite to Light Luke Lights were already on the ground and the groups were able to provide light and shelter to families whose lives had been turned upside down. While emergency tents offered protection from days of extreme heat and nights of uncertainty amidst the darkness, a solar light gave a dependable source of light, bringing about comfort in a time of hopelessness.
For families living in displacement camps, night brings about many challenges. Without electricity, mothers care for newborns in complete darkness, children are vulnerable to injuries, and families often rely on candles or open fires that create serious safety risks.
Earlier this year, TWIC distributed Unite to Light solar lights to breastfeeding mothers at Mother Teresa Hospital in Twic County, where reliable electricity is unavailable. Seventeen mothers received lights that now help them safely care for their babies, move throughout the hospital at night, and avoid the hazards associated with candles and open flames.
Local healthcare workers reported that solar lights improve nighttime safety, reduce fire hazards, support sanitation, and give mothers greater confidence as they care for their infants through the night. Even after this distribution, the need remains immense, with thousands of families still lacking access to safe lighting.
The true impact of these Luke Lights is best told by the people who are now able to utilize them.
Achol Manut, a mother who returned to South Sudan after fleeing Khartoum, arrived at Mother Teresa Hospital with her sick child and no way to care for her baby after dark. Before receiving her solar light, she depended on strangers’ phones for illumination and even resorted to lighting fires just to change bedding.
After the distribution of Luke Lights, she can safely care for her child throughout the night.
Just as importantly, the light helps protect them from snakes and scorpions that emerge after dark, an everyday danger for families living in displacement settings.
Another mother, Nyadeng Bol, described the difference a personal light has made:
“Having a solar light makes me feel much more secure at night. I can move safely to the latrines, care for my baby while breastfeeding, and check on my child’s needs without fear.”
For many families displaced by violence, the solar lights arrived alongside emergency shelter and humanitarian relief.
One widow, Aluk Majak Dut, lost her husband, daughter, and grandchild during the March attack. Left caring for her surviving grandchild alone, she described feeling overwhelmed by grief and fear.
Receiving emergency assistance reminded her that she had not been forgotten.
Another young mother, Aluat Deng, who lost both her husband and parents, shared that the support gave her something she thought she had lost forever– hope. Along with emergency shelter, the solar light allows her to care for her infant safely each night despite her unimaginable loss.
These stories remind us that humanitarian aid is about more than meeting physical needs. It is about offering comfort and safety in a time of hopelessness, and reminding families that they are seen.
Every Unite to Light solar light represents a mother who can safely breastfeed her child, a family who can now avoid dangerous open flames, children who can be cared for after sunset, and healthcare workers who can better support vulnerable patients.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of our local partners, whose courage and commitment allow these lights to reach some of the world’s most difficult-to-access communities.
As conflict and displacement continue to impact families across South Sudan, the need for safe, reliable light remains urgent. Together with our partners, Unite to Light remains committed to bringing practical, life-saving solutions to communities facing extraordinary challenges. We are especially grateful to the Rotary Club of N.E. Philadelphia Cheltenham and Rockledge Rotary Club, as well as the students of She the First in Monroe Township, New Jersey for helping to fund this project.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can give someone is the ability to have light in the darkness.
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